Rising to the occasion, quiet Ben Gurion Airport sees 1st hot air balloon launch
As airspace is cleared for historic flights, one operator sees silver lining, says it’s an example of something special resulting from the coronavirus pandemic
Four hot air balloons took off from the runways of Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday morning for the first time, after permission for the flights was given due to the relatively small number of planes taking off and landing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Airspace was closed to planes so the balloons could safely make the historic flight. Footage from the air field showed the inflated airships rising above El Al planes that have been grounded amid a labor dispute and the collapse of international travel.
The balloon operators gathered at 5 a.m. near the Terminal 3 control tower, with the balloons launching shortly after.
Balloon operator Amir Shemer told the Ynet news site that the event was an example of something special coming as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The fact that we are here this morning just shows the coronavirus can bring special things to our lives. We came here to launch four balloons in Ben Gurion Airport’s airspace on a beautiful and special morning,” Shemer said. “After circling over the terminal and over the runways, we will ascend higher and leave the airspace so that the planes can land here.”
לראשונה אי פעם, בנתבג שהיה אחד השדות העמוסים אושרו הבוקר באופן חריג וחד פעמי בהחלט לכדורים פורחים להמריא מעל השטח האווירי של נתב"ג – ממש באזור מסלולי ההמראה של מטוסי הסילון.
בחמש בבוקר התארגנו כאן להמראה ההיסטורית – כזאת שאלמלא הקורונה לא היתה יכולה לצאת לדרך.סוריאליסטי ומדהים pic.twitter.com/HHQCizcUNo
— Sharon Idan | שרון עידן (@sharonidan) July 25, 2020
Another operator said that it was a dream come true.
“This is a unique opportunity,” said Shai Nir. “There are no flights on a jumbo jet, so you can fly in a hot air balloon. You can’t say that dreams do not come true — sometimes it happens.”
